Tag: investing trends

In early 2016, many pundits predicted a more tepid investment environment, characterized by a slowing venture capital market, a more rational valuation environment, and potential correction in the public markets.  There was a feeling that we were due for a bit of a “hangover” from the 2014-15 startup investing frenzy – which had been driven largely by walls of new capital from the likes of sovereign wealth funds, increased corporate venture money, and family offices. (For more on that, see our thoughts from early 2016 here.) And, indeed, the end-of-year data for 2016 has exposed what everyone pretty much knew: In 2016, venture capital funding in the US was down year-over-year, following five years of consistent growth in funding. According to data provided by Pitchbook, VC funding dropped roughly 14% – from the impressive $79.2 billion funneled into US-based startups in 2015, to a more modest sum of $68.3 billion in 2016. Perhaps even more telling is the decrease in the number of deals done in 2016 vs. 2015: 10,486 in 2015, compared to 7,966 in 2016. And exit activity...